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Jamaal Tinsley
|} Jamaal Lee Tinsley (born February 28, 1978) is an American professional basketball player in the NBA at Point Guard who last played for the Utah Jazz. Tinsley was drafted out of Iowa State University by the then-existing Vancouver Grizzlies (who relocated to Memphis) with the 27th pick of the 2001 NBA Draft, and was immediately dealt to the Hawks, and then on to the Pacers on draft night. Early years and college career As a teenager, Tinsley developed his game playing streetball at New York City's legendary Rucker Park. Tinsley's streetball nickname is "Mel Mel The Abuser".Breaking Away: The Jamaal Tinsley Story Despite never playing basketball in high school, Tinsley, a high school dropout, managed to earn his GED and took his talents to Mount San Jacinto College (MSJC), where he played for the Eagles under Coach John Chambers. During the two seasons he played at MSJC, Tinsley was the two-time Foothill Conference MVP (1998 & 1999) and the Eagles' career leader in assists and steals. In two seasons, Tinsley led Iowa State, coached by Larry Eustachy, to two Big 12 Conference Championships. In his first season at Iowa State, Tinsley teamed with forward Marcus Fizer, who earned All-American honors, to guide the Cyclones to the Elite Eight of the 2000 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. In 2001, after Fizer had left Iowa State to enter the NBA Draft, Tinsley received Second Team All-American and Big 12 Conference Player of the Year honors. That season ended in disappointment for Tinsley, as Iowa State, the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament's West region, was upset by No. 15-seeded Hampton in the tournament's first round. He is a part of the only college team in history to beat Kansas four times in a row.ESPN NCAA Tournament 2001 - Bracket NBA career Tinsley established himself as the starting point guard under Pacers coach Isiah Thomas. He put up statistics of 9.4 points and 8.1 assists per game in 2001-02. Tinsley played 73 games for the Pacers in 2002-03, starting 69 of them, and his averages dipped to 7.8 points and 7.5 assists per contest. The following year, Rick Carlisle replaced Thomas as the Pacers' head coach, and promoted veteran guard Kenny Anderson to the starting point guard slot, with Anthony Johnson as his backup. When Anderson and Johnson went down with injuries, Tinsley regained his status as a starter. Tinsley never relinquished his starter's role after that as the Pacers advanced to the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals. Tinsley spent the majority of the 2004-05 season on injured reserve, but the team played its way to a 44-38 record and the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. Tinsley missed the first four games of the Pacers' first-round series against the Boston Celtics, but made a return in a Game 5 victory. Tinsley's injury problems continued during the 2007-08 season; he only played in 39 games, during which he averaged a career-high 8.4 assists that season. Jim O'Brien, the Pacers' head coach, has confirmed with The Indianapolis Star that Tinsley will be replaced in the starting lineup by point guard T. J. Ford in the upcoming 2008-09 season. O'Brien and Pacers' President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird informed Tinsley that he is not permitted to attend team practices or games during the 2008-09 season while the Pacers work out a trade for him. Tinsley has since requested a contract buyout through his agent.Jamaal Tinsley, Players Association to File Grievance ESPN.com, February 3, 2009 The NBA Players Association filed a grievance against the Pacers on Tinsley's behalf on February 11, 2009; the Pacers, who say that they are still searching for a trade for him, could be forced either to buy out Tinsley's contract or to waive him.Players Association Files Grievance Over Inactivity Yahoo Sports, February 12, 2009 External links *NBA.com Profile - Jamaal Tinsley *Jamaal Tinsley Iowa State Profile References Category:Born in 1978 Category:American basketball players Category:Point Guards Category:Iowa State Alumni Category:Memphis Grizzlies draft picks Category:National Basketball Association players Category:Players who wear/wore number 11 Category:Indiana Pacers players Category:Players who wear/wore number 10 Category:Memphis Grizzlies players Category:NBA D-League players Category:Players who wear/wore number 6 Category:Utah Jazz players